Floor-clamp



(No Model.)

LJBUNNELL.

PLOOR'GLAMP.. No. 5775975. Patented Mar.r 2,1897.

IN VEN T08 'me mams Parana co4. wuovaufo.. msuuomn. D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LESLIE BUNNELL, OF RED LODGE, MONTANA.

FLOOR-CLAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 577,97 5, dated March2, 1897.

Application filet August 1s, 189e.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LESLIE BUNNELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Red Lodge, in the county of Carbon and State of Montana,have invented certain new and I useful Improvements in Floor Clamps, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar numeralsof reference indicate corresponding parts wherever found throughout thesevera views.

This invention relates to floor-clamps; and the object thereof is toprovide an improved device of this class which is designed for clampingor pressing the boards of a floor together and for holding them inposition until they are nailed to the floor-beams or sleepers, a furtherobject being to provide a device of this class which is adapted to beplaced on the licor-beams and to operate in connection therewith toclamp, press, and hold the separate boards of the floor in positionwhile they are being nailed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following speciiication, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure 1 is aplan view of my improved door-clamp; Fig. 2, a Iside view thereof, andFig. 3 a bottom plan view.

In the practice of my invention I provide a floor-clamp consisting of anoblong block 5, in the upper side of which is mounted alongitudinally-movable bar 6, which is placed in a corresponding slot orgroove in the upper side of said block 5 and which is held in place bylugs or projections 7, which project over the sides thereof near thefront end, and by cross-plates 8, secured to the rear end of the block 5and provided with upwardly-directed jaws 9, between which is pivoted alever 10, said lever being provided with a circular head 11, throughwhich the pivot-pin 12 passes, and said circular head being providedwithl ratchet-teeth 13, which operate in connection with teeth orprojections 14, formed on the rear end of the sliding bar 6.

One of the jaws 9 is circular in form at the upper end thereof andprovided with ratchetteeth, as shown at l5, and secured to the lever 10,near the circular head 11 thereof, is a longitudinal keeper 16, in whichis mounted Serial No. 602,636. (No model.)

23, Asaid buffer-plate being provided at each end with angular arms 24,which 4are screwthreaded and provided with nuts 25, and the angular arms24 are passed through slots 26 in the ends of the cross-head 22, wherebysaid louder-plate is transversely adjustable, so asto correspond withthe tongues formed on flooring-boards of different thicknesses, saidbuffer-plate being provided with a longitudinal groove 27 in its outerside which is designed to receive said tongues.

The sliding bar 6 is provided centrally thereof with a raisedlongitudinal portion 4, which is provided with an arm 28,which projectsin line therewith toward the forward end of the clamp, and between saidarm and the raised portion of the sliding bar 6 is mounted a slidingwedge-shaped head 29, which is connected with the angular portion 30 ofthe arm 28 by a spiral .spring 31, which operates to force said head 29outwardly.

Secured to or formed on the sides of the block 5, near the front end andat each side thereof, are outwardly-directed jaws 32, between which arepivoted arms 33, which extend backwardly across the sides of the block5, and the upper ends of which are provided with inwardly-curved ends34, which are provided with outwardly-inclined heads 35, between whichthe wedge-shaped head 29 is adapted to be forced, and the lower ends ofthe arms 33 are provided with inwardly-directed jaws or prongs 40, whichare adapted to be forced into the sides of the floor-beam on which theclamp is placed, and said block 5 is provided at its rear end andcentrally thereof with a backWardly-directed prong 35, the operation ofwhich will be hereinafter described.

Secured to the sliding bar 6, near the ,forward end thereof, is a block36, the ends of IOC) which are provided with downwardly-d irectedwedge-shaped jaws 37, the points of which are directed backwardly, andwhich abut against the sides of the block 5, and the sliding bar 6 ispreferably provided centrally,

thereof with a raised longitudinal rib or spline 33, at the rear end ofwhich the teeth 14 are formed, said teeth and said spline or raisedportion constituting a 1ack-bar, and the block 36 is countersunktherein, and the wedgeshaped head 29 is connected with the arm 28 andthe raised portion 4 of the slidin g bar 26 by a tongue-and-grooveconstruction, it being understood that said head 29 is free to slidebetween said arm 28 and said raised portion 4.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and thefollowing` statement thereof.

The lever 10 is first moved forward so as to draw the cross-head 22 ofthe sliding bar G back against the end of the block 5, and in thisposition of the parts the clamp or the block 5 is placed on thefloor-beams and the prong 35 is forced thereinto, the clamp being firstshoved up against the edge of the board which is being laid, so that thetongue thereon will enter the groove 27 in the buffer-plate 23. Thelever10 is then moved backward, and this operation forces the sliding bar 6forwardly and at the same time forces the wed ge-shaped head 29 betweenthe inclined jaws 35 of the arms 33, and this operation forces theprongs or jaws 40 at the lower ends of said arms into the sides of theHoor-beam and prevents the backward movement of the clamp while thecross head 22 is being forced forwardly. When the cross-head 22 isforced forward to its farthest extent and the floor-board is clamped inthe desired position,a nail is driven into the board, and thebuffer-plate 23 is provided with a notch or recess 39, which permits ofthe driving of the nail without injuring the clamp or board. VVhen theboard has been secured in place, the lever 10 is again moved forward,and this operation draws back the sliding bar 6 and forces the jaws 37on the cross-blockl 36 between the lower ends of the arms 33 and thesides of the block 5 and releases the jaws or prongs 4 from thefloorbeam,and the clamp may then be moved along said beam so as toprovide room for another floor-board.

The object of the lever 20, the rod 19, with which it is connected, andthe sliding lockbolt 17, which operates in connection with the ratchet15 on one of the jaws 9, between which the lower end of the lever 10 ispivoted, will be readily understood and is similar to other devices ofthis class, the object thereof being to hold the lever 10 in any desiredposition.

It is evident that many changes in and modifications of the constructionherein described maybe made without departing from the spirit of myinvention or sacricin g its advantages. The blocks 8 and the jaws 9 maybe formed integrally with the block 5 and the sliding bar C may be heldin position in any desired manner, and the longitudinal rib or spline 28on said sliding bar 6 may be omitted, if desired, and the arm 2S mayalso be formed integrally with the sliding bar, and I reserve the rightto make all such alterations in a-nd modifications of the constructionherein described as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A iioor-clamp,consisting of a main block, which isadapted to be clamped to a floorbeam, said block being provided wit-h asliding bar which is mounted longitudinally of its upper side, and whichis provided with a cross-head, which is adapted to force the fioorboardsinto position, said sliding bar being also provided at the end thereof,opposite said cross-head, with ratchet-teeth, and said main block beingprovided with upwardlydirected jaws between which is pivoted a lever,the end of which is provided with ratchet-teeth which are adapted tooperate in connection with those formed in the sliding bar, said slidingbar bein g also provided with a wedge-shaped head, and said main blockwith pivoted side arms, the upper ends of which are curved inwardly, andprovided with jaws, between which said head is adapted to be forced, andthe lower ends of said arms beingprovided with inwardly-directed prongsor jaws which are adapted to be forced into a floor-beam, said slidingbar being provided adjacent to the cross-head with a cross-block, theends of which are provided with backwardly-directed wed ge-shaped jawswhich operate in connection with said pivoted arms, substantially asshown and described.

2. A floor-clamp consisting of an oblong block provided with a longitudinally-extending slot, a longitu dinally-movable bar mounted insaid slot, lugs or projections secured to the forward portion of saidblock and adapted to hold the said bar in position, standards secured toupwardly-directed jaws secured to the rear portion of said block,aleverpivoted therebetween, a sliding bolt on said lever and adaptedtoengage the toothed end of one of said jaws, means for operating thesaid plate adjacent to the upper end of said lever, a rackbar formed onthe upper portion of said bar and adapted to be engaged by the lower endof said lever, ou twardly-directed jaws secured to either side of saidblock arms pivoted therebetween, said arms extending backwardly acrossthe back of said block, curved ends formed on the upper portion of saidarms, outwardly-inclined heads secured on the said ends, a raisedlongitudinal portion centrally secured to said sliding bar, awedge-shaped head mounted therein and adapted to engage saidinwardly-inclined head on said curved end of said arm, inwardly-directedprongs secured to the lower end of said arms and adapted to pass underthe said block, a block se- IOO IOS

IIO

cured to the lower bar near the forward end of the same,downwardly-directed wedgeshaped bars mounted thereon and extending in abackward direction, cross-heads secured on the outer end of said slidingbar, a longitudinal buffer or plate mounted therein, annular bars ineither end of said plate having screw-threaded ends thereon and adaptedto pass through longitudinal openings within the said cross-head and beadjusted thereon and an outwardly-inclined spur adapted to engage abeam, said parts being eombined'substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have Signed myname, in the 15 presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 5th day ofAugust, 1896.

LESLIE BUNNELL.

Witnesses:

R. G. BEATTIE, J. R. ANDREWS.

